Glorious Sights…and Sounds

In our Old Testament lesson, the young prophet-in-training Elisha beholds the glorious sight of his beloved mentor, Elijah, being taken up into heaven in a whirlwind. This sight is the sign to Elisha that he will receive a double portion of the prophetic spirit (2 Kings 2).

The New Testament lesson tells us that Christ removes our veil of spiritual blindness, enabling us see the glory of God in him and to be transformed into his image, through the working of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3-4).

In the Gospel lesson, the disciples briefly behold the divine glory of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Terrified by the sight, they also hear the voice of God which commands them to listen to His Son (Mark 9).

If you were given the opportunity either to see Jesus with your own eyes or to hear him speak with your own ears, which would you choose? Sunday’s readings describe some truly glorious sights that God allowed His people to witness. But unless we listen to His Word we may miss the significance of what we are seeing.